Meanwhile in the Hosted Games category, Lewis Manalo has released The Spy and the Labyrinth, a story told entirely through documents and journal entries (an unusual format for Choice of Games pieces). The premise involves an archaeologist from Miskatonic University lost in the Amazon. Given Lovecraft’s well-known racism and poor handling of indigenous cultures — and the way that sometimes comes through in other writing in the Lovecraftian tradition — I’m cautious about that premise. On the other hand, CoG as a brand works intentionally to avoid sending racist messages in the works they create or host, and I feel like the editors there would flag a work if it were displaying those tendencies. So I’m not entirely sure what to expect here, and haven’t had a chance to read it yet.

Famous archaeologist Dr. Lucius Thayer has gone missing in the Amazon jungle, and the CIA has asked you to find him. Unfortunately, you’re not the only one interested in Dr. Thayer. Enter a world of ancient mysteries and modern dangers, of suspicious cults and nefarious secret agents. THE SPY AND THE LABYRINTH is a thrilling text-based game that will capture your imagination, but always remember: you’re not paranoid if the danger is real.

I haven’t been posting much for the last year because of been busy on a writing gig for Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands. Are you jealous? You should be.

This is an older trailer, and I’ve got all that NDA goodness in my life, so I can’t answer questions about the game. The work has been fun, and I suspect that being at a indie game company that’s this big can sometimes spoil people like me.

My work isn’t quite done with it, but I’m trying to squeeze in the time to get back to my other projects. Stay tuned…